The upside of Mess: conceptualising (dis)order as a dynamic family resource
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This study examines how domestic (dis)order emerges as shifting states shaped by everyday socio-material interactions. Drawing on assemblage theory and photo-elicitation interviews with 22 households, we show how (dis)order develops through dynamic relations among family members, objects, spaces, and temporal rhythms. We identify three assemblage capacities—transient, functional, and conducive—that shape how disorder materialises and is understood, along with three corresponding management strategies: restoring, tolerating, and concealing. Beyond the home, these capacities extend assemblage theory by providing a transferable framework for theorising how assemblages generate distinct emergent states across consumer and marketplace contexts. Reconceptualising (dis)order as an emergent assemblage property rather than an individual shortcoming, the study reveals conditions under which mess serves as a productive resource supporting household flow, functional efficiency, and relational harmony. The study also offers practical implications for flexible storage design, functional mess zone identification, and organisation solutions that support family wellbeing.
Source: Journal of Business Research
Institutions: Auckland University of Technology, Northumbria University
Language: English
Subfield: Conservation
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,440
OpenAlex ID: W7222556775